New downtown tree lights in Ukiah should be up soon

The new lights purchased for the Ukiah Main Street Program (UMSP) to decorate downtown trees on School Street should be up this weekend.

Rick Hansen, executive director of the UMSP, said staff from the Ukiah Electric Utility, which purchased the lights last month, have been "making repairs and upgrades to the electrical conduit and junction boxes at the bases of the trees" this week.

Since the lights will be installed permanently on the trees, Hansen said "the lights will be hard-wired into the trees, with the junction boxes and converters placed out of reach."

He said Thursday that he expected members of the UMSP and others would begin stringing lights today on the tree branches.

"We hope to have them all done by bedtime Saturday," he said.

The plan is to install lights on 16 trees in four intersections on School Street that can be lit for the holidays and other special occasions.

When the plan was approved by the Ukiah City Council earlier this year, Hansen was asked what the "hope" among the downtown merchants was for the lights, and he said they definitely wanted more than four intersections covered with lights.

"Last year, the general consensus was they would like to see all the trees from Stephenson to Smith streets be lit in some manner," Hansen said. "But because of costs, we won't be able to light all 37 estimated trees. Ultimately, it would be our desire, and that of the merchants, to see all the trees lit."

Hansen said the UMSP has received offers from people and businesses to buy lights for the trees, and "perhaps we can create a fund specifically for (the lighting)."

For more information, or to volunteer or donate, call the UMSP at 462-6789.